One week ago, Daryl Worley was still on the Detroit Lions practice squad. Now the veteran defensive back could be in a starting role as the most experienced player in the secondary.
Worley saw his first Lions action in the Week 4 matchup in Chicago, playing 20 snaps on defense. While he’s been a cornerback for his entire six-year NFL career, Worley’s reps came at safety against the Bears.
And that could continue, even with the Lions’ rampant injuries and glaring inexperience at cornerback. Coach Dan Campbell liked what he saw from Worley and values his versatility.
“We like Worley,” Campbell said after Sunday’s loss. “We brought him in. He did a couple things in practice for us. So we wanted to get some eyes on him, see where he was at. He’s a smart guy. He’s got a little versatility, corner, safety, nickel. And so, yeah, I mean, we’re just — we’re trying to find the best guys we can here that can help us. And also develop some of these young pups.”
The Lions currently start Amani Oruwariye and Bobby Price at outside cornerback AJ Parker in the slot role. Price left Sunday’s game with an injury, which brought in Jerry Jacobs. Tracy Walker and Will Harris are the starting safeties, though veteran Dean Marlowe has seen his role as the third safety increase in the last two weeks. Worley’s ability to play at safety or any CB spot makes him a very valuable asset for the Detroit secondary, which is searching for answers after a largely terrible first four games.
Worley’s experience can’t hurt. He has started 54 career games since being a third-round pick by the Cardinals in 2016. The 26-year-old bounced around three NFL teams in 2020 after two seasons as a full-time starter at outside CB for the Raiders.
